N716DJ RV 9A Builder

Home
Builder Background
Building Tips
Workshop & Tools
Photos
Helpful Links

johnscherokee.jpg
The Cherokee that I Often Fly

Welcome

Welcome to another RV builders web site.  My name is Jerry Szelc and I started my RV 9A project in January 2006.  If you have visited here before and are interested in the most recent additions they are listed blow.  Otherwise, feel free to just start looking around.

 

Most Recent Additions

09/26/07:  I finished painting the workroom floor.  See the photo below.

08/14/07:  Well as things should have it, I am not in a position to invest $6,700 in the wings right now.  My company is presently negotiating an agreement that will bring an end to the firm.  The resulting uncertainty has lead to my decision to hold off spending this much money until I we have the sale wrapped up and I have found another position.  So in the mean time, I decided to rearrange the workroom in order to accomodate the wing jig.  I also decided to paint the floor.

08/06/07:  My last post was on May 12, 2007.  And at that time, I had just finished riveting the left elevator and trim tab.  I then started on the fiberglass tips.  I spent a great deal of time adding wooden frames to the inside of the tips in order to make them removable.  I didn't feel comfortable just riveting them on with pop rivets.  As such I added a "fairly light weight" wooden frame on the inside of each tip which will allow me to use flat head screws to hold the tips on.  Additionall, I spent a lot of time getting the HS tips looking good.  I'm very pleased with how they turned out.

EmpTips.JPG
The Fiberglass Emp Tips
PaintedFloor.JPG
Painted Workshop Floor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

andykarmy.jpg
Andy Karmy's RV 9A

A Note of Thanks !
 
Thanks to all of the other RV builders who have taken the time to create web sites that have helped folks like myself learn more about building an airplane.  More specifically, a Van's kit plane.
 
The amount of time that builders put into building their airplanes, logging their work, and then sitting down to update their web sites is just amazing.  Sure, there is some overlap between the last two steps, but many of the web sites go well beyond what is needed to satisfy the FAA.  I can only assume most of them get very little sleep!
 
 
What Makes this Site a Little Different ?
 
I'm sorry folks, but I'm not sure that I have as much time or energy as some other builders do to document every aspect of my project on this web site.  I'm already thinking that I will need to sacrifice sleep in order to complete my airplane.  Yet I am very grateful that other builders have taken the time to share their knowledge and experience with those who have yet to start down this long road.  Therefore, I struggled with how to contribute to the builders knowledge base in the time that I do have available.
 
If you have spent time on the web researching kit build airplanes, you have already learned there are a number of really great Van's RV builder sites.   On those sites, you'll find numerous pictures showing what seems like hundreds of clecos sticking out of an aluminum structure.  With this in mind, I have decided to take a somewhat different approach with the content for this web site.
 
This site is intended to serve as a resource for other builders.  My plan is post information, thoughts, ideas, comments, experiences, etc. that I think would be of interest to folks who are currently building an airplane or are thinking about building an airplane.  I do not plan to document each step of my building experience.  Rather, I will try and post content that may (or may not) be of value to other builders.
 
If you look at the main menu, you will see a Building Tips menu option.  I would suggest that you start here.  This option will take you to the main index where everything will be organized in what I hope is a useful format.  You may also want to check out the Photos option for some pictures and comments regarding my progress.
 
Your Thoughts & Ideas
 
If you have already built one or more planes, are currently building, or thinking of building please feel free to send my an email with your suggestions, comments, thoughts, ideas, questions, etc..  I'll try to add them to the Builder's Tips section.  My email address is shown at the bottom of each page.
 
Send me an email at rvbuilder@verizon.net